Search

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the overall oral health statuses of patients with fixed orthodontic appliance and clear aligner, as well as their oral hygiene management behaviours and satisfaction., Methods: We selected 40 participants (20 each with fixed orthodontic devices and clear aligners) who visited a dental clinic. We conducted a survey to determine the oral hygiene management behaviours of the subjects and their satisfaction with their orthodontic treatment. Three measurements were also conducted at 4-week intervals to determine the oral health statuses of the subjects., Results: The Löe and Silness gingival index of patients with fixed orthodontic appliances indicated moderate gingivitis (1.1 ± 0.3), and those with clear aligners had mild gingivitis (0.6 ± 0.4) (p < 0.001). The modified O'Leary index also indicated that the degree of dental plaque deposition in the oral cavity was lower in patients treated with a clear aligner (43.0 ± 18.2 points) than in those treated with a fixed orthodontic (28.1 ± 10.9 points) (p = 0.004). Regarding oral hygiene management, the fixed orthodontic group received scaling more frequently (p = 0.006), received more oral health education (p < 0.001) and had a longer brushing time (p = 0.008) than the clear aligner group. No significant difference was observed in satisfaction between the fixed orthodontic appliance and the clear aligner., Conclusions: Regarding the oral health status by orthodontic appliance type, the clear aligner group had the advantages of reduction in dental plaque attachment and gingival health. The fixed orthodontic group exhibited better oral hygiene management behaviours. Satisfaction with orthodontic treatment was found to be similar for the two device types., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: To assess the knowledge, confidence and awareness of the importance of assessing oral cancer risk among dental hygienists working in Korea and to provide data for the development of theoretical and technical curricula related to oral cancer prevention tasks., Methods: Questionnaires were distributed to 195 dental hygienists, recruited from an online posting. Survey questions were related to the study objectives and demographic characteristics of the participants. An independent t-test and one-way Analysis of Variance were performed to determine the relationships between study variables and participant demographic characteristics., Results: Seventy-five percent of the participants agreed that it is necessary to conduct oral cancer risk factor assessment for patients, while 46% agreed it was the duty of dental hygienists. The percentage of participants responding correctly to oral cancer risk factors and to oral cancer characteristics ranged from 98% to 31%. Participants with a master's degree or higher and those with oral cancer education experience were significantly (p < 0.003, p < 0.007, respectively) more aware of the importance of assessing oral cancer risk factors. Participants, who performed non-treatment-related work, had significantly (p < 0.046) greater performance confidence than that of clinicians. In addition, 52.5% of the participants had no prior education in oral cancer and 80.8% agreed that additional education and training were required., Conclusions: To improve dental hygienists' knowledge of oral cancer risk factors, it is important to provide specific knowledge, and an educational curriculum is necessary that allows incorporating medical interviews, visual inspections and palpation for comprehensive assessments., (© 2024 The Authors. International Journal of Dental Hygiene published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: To investigate the effects of a smartphone-based oral and whole-body exercise programme on oral function in older adults., Methods: Individuals aged 65 years or above were randomized into three groups (non-app use, app use and control group), and a combined oral and whole-body exercise programme was conducted for 5 weeks. Oral muscle strength, saliva flow rate, Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), and Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) were measured before and after the intervention. The changes in each group were analysed at the end of the programme using paired sample t-tests, and the differences among the groups were analysed using the chi-square test, Fisher's exact test and ANOVA., Results: The anterior tongue strength increased by 2.80 kPa after the intervention in the non-app use group; however, the change was not statistically significant. In the app use group, the anterior tongue strength significantly increased by 4.48 kPa. The saliva flow rate increased by 0.54 and 0.71 g/min in the non-app and app use groups, respectively, after the intervention (p < 0.05), and the change was greater in the app use group than in the other groups (p < 0.01). There were no significant changes in the posterior tongue strength, cheek strength, OHIP-14 or GOHAI scores over the course of the study., Conclusions: A smartphone-based combined oral and whole-body exercise programme can improve anterior tongue strength and saliva flow rate in older participants. The programme, however, did not result in significant changes in posterior tongue strength, cheek strength and perceived oral health., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Fine particulate matter (FPM) is a major component of air pollution and has emerged as a significant global health concern owing to its adverse health effects. Previous studies have investigated the correlation between bone health and FPM through cohort or review studies. However, the effects of FPM exposure on bone health are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the effects of FPM on bone health and elucidate these effects in vitro and in vivo using mice. Micro-CT analysis in vivo revealed FPM exposure decreased bone mineral density, trabecular bone volume/total volume ratio, and trabecular number in the femurs of mice, while increasing trabecular separation. Histological analysis showed that the FPM-treated group had a reduced trabecular area and an increased number of osteoclasts in the bone tissue. Moreover, in vitro studies revealed that low concentrations of FPM significantly enhanced osteoclast differentiation. These findings further support the notion that short-term FPM exposure negatively impacts bone health, providing a foundation for further research on this topic.

Objectives: This longitudinal text-mining study examines dental hygiene students' perceptions of dental hygienists and dentists at three different points in time during their training course. The null hypothesis of the study was that there would be no change in the dental hygiene students' perceptions of the dental hygienists and dentists over the course of 3 years., Materials and Methods: First-year dental hygiene students participated in this study beginning with the academic year 2020. The questionnaires were conducted in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Participants were asked to write their perceptions of dental hygienists and dentists on the questionnaire sheets, and a quantitative text-mining analysis was performed., Results: Initially, 59 female students were assessed for enrollment in this study, and the overall participation rate was 88.1%. The first-year students' perceptions of dental hygienists were "assist" and "beside" the dentist based on the co-occurrence group, while in the second-year, "cleaning" and "tooth" emerged in this group, and a new group of "cordinal-listen-story" materialised. In the third year, these groups merged into one group centered on "kind." In the perceptions of dentists, the word "fear" was the most frequent before clinical training, while the frequency of the world "kind" increased after clinical training. The word "treat" was ranked third in the second year of curriculum and then first in the final year., Conclusions: The null hypothesis was rejected. It can be concluded that if interactions between dental hygiene and dental students are systematically incorporated from early undergraduate education, clinical practice will be more meaningful and lead to stronger intraprofessional collaboration in future clinical practice., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

(1) Background: Diet is significant for nutritional intake and serves as an essential element for improving quality of life (QOL). Poor dietary management skills increase the risk of onset or progression of lifestyle-related diseases, and, in particular, are a factor in reduced QOL during old age. This study aimed to clarify the physical and social background factors impeding dietary self-management. (2) Methods: The study participants were 3814 men (age range, 30-69 years) extracted from anonymous data comprising 15,294 persons provided from the Japanese national statistics database. The participants were classified into two groups (Concerned vs. Unconcerned) according to whether they were concerned about their diet. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for diet-conscious behaviors were then obtained by means of binomial logistic regression analysis performed following univariate analysis. (3) Results: The Concerned and Unconcerned groups comprised 2548 (66.8%) and 1266 subjects (33.2%), respectively. The diet-conscious behavior with the highest response rate was eating regularly (46.7%). The most frequent items in the Unconcerned group were the subjective symptom "irritable" (48.9%), high stress (46.3%), working more than 56 h/week (43.8%), and smoking (41.9%). The only item with a large significant OR in the binomial logistic regression analysis was smoking (OR: 2.2). (4) Conclusions: These results suggest that a smoking habit and stress are factors that impede diet management behaviors.

Interest in natural extracts for managing oral biofilms is increasing, with black cumin seed oil (BCSO) demonstrating efficacy against Streptococcus mutans . The effectiveness of antibacterial agents should be evaluated using multi-species oral biofilm models that closely mimic actual conditions. This study aimed to compare the antibacterial effects of BCSO and chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) on oral microcosm biofilms. Biofilms using human saliva as the inoculum were cultured for 2 days and subsequently treated with 0.5% dimethyl sulfoxide, 0.5% BCSO, or 0.12% CHX once daily for 6 days. Following treatment, the red fluorescence intensity (Ratio R/G ) of the oral biofilm; biomass, including extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) levels and live bacteria counts; and colony-forming units (CFUs) of aciduric bacteria were evaluated. Ratio R/G after BCSO treatment (1.26 ± 0.03) was not significantly different from that after CHX treatment ( p = 0.552). The EPS levels were also not significantly different between the two groups ( p = 0.743). The live bacteria count was 0.55 times lower in the BCSO-treated group than in the CHX-treated group ( p = 0.018). No significant between-group difference was observed in the CFUs of aciduric bacteria ( p = 0.935). These results suggest that BCSO exhibits antibacterial effects similar to those of CHX, highlighting its potential as an effective alternative.

Background/Objectives : This study was conducted to develop information and communication technology (ICT)-based oral functional rehabilitation exercise (OFRE) program content to effectively improve the oral function of the elderly people. Methods : After selecting evidence-based effective OFRE items through systematic review, the final items were constructed through the validity evaluation of detailed items through an expert Delphi survey. The items were composed in a simple content form that can be performed directly and applied to ICT-based mobile applications. Results : The final content items consisted of an oral functional motor-ability measurement, oral Pilates videos, and games. The first is to measure the maximum opening amount before and after exercise, and the opening amount was designed to be measured by eating the fruit displayed on the screen by opening and closing the lips. The second one consisted of eight exercises in the video, and each exercise was to be performed at least three times a day, with a total of two sets. The third is a salivary secretion function exercise that stimulates the salivary glands to stimulate the user's interest and enable them to perform oral movements on their own. It consists of a lip and respiratory muscle exercise that inflates the cheeks and bursts a balloon, and the image disappears when the word in the image presented on the screen is pronounced correctly. It consists of pronunciation exercises. Conclusions : This content development attempt can be expanded into new convergence research linked to ICT and can be used as basic data when developing related content as part of digital care for the elderly in the future.

The decision of surgical margin for Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ) surgery is challenging. Recently, a method involving biofluorescence imaging system (BIS) has been reported for its application in MRONJ surgery to live detection of pathologic bone tissue from vital bone, which cannot be distinguished during conventional surgery. This case series aimed to assess the outcomes of adjacent teeth and implants near the lesion site in MRONJ patients who underwent BIS-guided MRONJ surgery. This retrospective study was assessed the radiographic and clinical outcomes of seven patients who underwent MRONJ surgery with BIS guidance but chose not to remove adjacent teeth or implants near the lesion. A total of seven patients (1 male, 6 females, 77.2 ± 4.7 years) were included in the study. Four implants and four teeth adjacent to the lesion were preserved. Over an average duration of 8.7 months, all subjects exhibited normal soft tissue healing and function without any complications. In conclusion, the BIS guided MRONJ surgery can be considered a minimally invasive and effective approach., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest One of the authors, Hong Cheol Yoon, is the current CEO of Qray-Pen device manufacturing company which were used for this research (AIOBIO, Seoul, Republic of Korea). All the other authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major pathogenic oral bacterium that is responsible for periodontal disease. It is linked to chronic periodontitis, gingivitis and aggressive periodontitis. P. gingivalis exerts its pathogenic effects through mechanisms such as immune evasion and tissue destruction, primarily by secreting various factors, including cysteine proteases such as gingipain K (Kgp), gingipain R (RgpA and RgpB) and PrtH (UniProtKB ID P46071). Virulence proteins comprise multiple domains, including the pro-peptide region, catalytic domain, K domain, R domain and DUF2436 domain. While there is a growing database of knowledge on virulence proteins and domains, there was no prior evidence or information regarding the structure and biological function of the well conserved DUF2436 domain. In this study, the DUF2436 domain of PrtH from P. gingivalis (PgDUF2436) was determined at 2.21 Å resolution, revealing a noncanonical β-jelly-roll sandwich topology with two antiparallel β-sheets and one short α-helix. Although the structure of PgDUF2436 was determined by the molecular-replacement method using an AlphaFold model structure as a template, there were significant differences in the positions of β1 between the AlphaFold model and the experimentally determined PgDUF2436 structure. The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool sequence-similarity search program showed no sequentially similar proteins in the Protein Data Bank. However, DaliLite search results using structure-based alignment revealed that the PgDUF2436 structure has structural similarity Z-scores of 5.9-5.4 with the C-terminal domain of AlgF, the D4 domain of cytolysin, IglE and the extracellular domain structure of PepT2. This study has elucidated the structure of the DUF2436 domain for the first time and a comparative analysis with similar structures has been performed., (open access.)

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an interactive education approach in oral and maxillofacial radiology for dentists, utilizing the online interactive educational program Mentimeter., Method: Seven continuing education sessions for dentists in oral and maxillofacial radiology were conducted employing Mentimeter. Following these sessions, surveys gauged participants' responses to the learning method and its effectiveness. The questionnaire comprised 20 questions categorized into convenience, active learning, academic achievement, time management, and lecture quality., Result: Among about 300 participants, 222 responded to the survey, with 74 (33.3%) having prior experience in similar education. Across categories of active learning, academic achievement, and lecture quality, participants consistently rated the method with an average score exceeding 4 out of 5, indicating a highly positive response. Statistically significant gender differences were observed in 9 out of 20 questions, with female respondents providing more positive evaluations than males. Respondents without prior similar education reported enhanced focus and understanding compared to those with experience. No statistically significant differences were observed in other survey questions., Conclusion: In the realm of continuing education in oral and maxillofacial radiology for dentists, the interactive educational program Mentimeter emerges as an effective tool, fostering positive academic achievements through active learning., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Children from diverse ethnic groups are at significantly increased risk for dental caries. In particular, American Indian (AI) children have the highest incidence of detal caries of any ethnic group. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically restricted health care access, including preventive oral health care. Given this context, it is unclear whether or not preventive oral health care for AI children has resumed since lockdown. To address this question, we surveyed adult AI caregivers (N = 152) of children aged 0-5 years, assessing recent (12-month) and pre-COVID (for caregivers of children aged 3-5 years) preventive oral and medical health services. We also examined medical health care access and utilization among caregivers. Among children aged 3-5 years old, both pre-pandemic and past year medical care utilization were generally high (80 and 90%, respectively) as was any oral health care utilization (64 & 78%, respectively). Oral health check-ups were more common over the last year (62%) compared to pre-COVID (44%). Recent health care utilization among children 1-5 years old in this sample were generally comparable to national estimates, except for higher reported preventive medical care (99% vs. 87.6%, respectively) and higher preventive oral care (96% vs. 59.6%, respectively). More caregivers reported delaying or foregoing needed health care due to COVID (28-38%) versus due to cost (8-17%). In this survey of AI caregivers, recent child preventive health care utilization was high, and changes in utilization following the lockdown phases of the pandemic were comparable for oral and medical health care., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Although previous studies suggest that Piezo2 regulates chronic pain in the orofacial area, few studies have reported the direct evidence of Piezo2's involvement in inflammatory and neuropathic pain in the orofacial region. In this study, we used male Sprague Dawley rats to investigate the role of the Piezo2 pathway in the development of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. The present study used interleukin (IL)-1 β -induced pronociception as an inflammatory pain model. Subcutaneous injection of IL-1 β produced significant mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. Subcutaneous injection of a Piezo2 inhibitor significantly blocked mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia induced by subcutaneously injected IL-1 β . Furthermore, the present study also used a neuropathic pain model caused by the misplacement of a dental implant, leading to notable mechanical allodynia as a consequence of inferior alveolar nerve injury. Western blot analysis revealed increased levels of Piezo2 in the trigeminal ganglion and the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis after inferior alveolar nerve injury. Furthermore, subcutaneous and intracisternal injections of a Piezo2 inhibitor blocked neuropathic mechanical allodynia. These results suggest that the Piezo2 pathway plays a critical role in the development of inflammatory and neuropathic pain in the orofacial area. Therefore, blocking the Piezo2 pathway could be the foundation for developing new therapeutic strategies to treat orofacial pain conditions., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Min-Jeong Jo et al.)

Background: Dental hygienists play a crucial role in providing successful community-based healthcare for patients. They should perform expected roles to address various tasks, in response to changing social contexts and needs. The value created by the role of a dental hygienist closely relates to job satisfaction, which is formed through daily clinical experiences, and in the process of professional identity formation, learners must internalise a value system. This study examined how dental hygiene students developed their professional identities during their undergraduate education., Methods: This study adopted a case study approach based on an interpretivist paradigm. Ten dental hygiene students in their final year were selected, and semi-structured interviews were conducted regarding changes in their views on dental hygienists and their identities as health professionals. The data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach to identify the components of their professional identities and the factors influencing identity formation., Results: Students pre-professional identities were transformed into inter-professional collaborators with a more patient-centric and generalist perspective. The following three aspects of professional identity were identified: their own roles in promoting oral and general health, broadening the perspectives on professional competencies of dental hygienists, and the context of inter-professional collaborative practice. Additionally, this study identified some key factors influencing their identity formation, namely role models, clinical experiences, health care system, and social relationships with others. Among these factors, role models and clinical experiences were the most influential., Conclusions: This study suggests that recognition of professional roles during preclinical education, and collaborative opportunities in clinical education are necessary to promote professional identity formation. Such learning opportunities enable students to reflect on the kind of dental hygienist they want to become. Moreover, for the students to continuously pursue their profession with a sense of fulfilment, educators need to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges the students would encounter as they transition from their undergraduate degrees to employment. This understanding is essential for developing and supporting communities where dental hygienists connect, help, and learn from each other., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Although fine dust is linked to numerous health issues, including cardiovascular, neurological, respiratory, and cancerous diseases, research on its effects on oral health remains limited. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of mature hemp stem extract-induced exosomes (MSEIEs) on periodontal cells exposed to fine dust. Using various methods, including microRNA profiling, PCR, flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry, ELISA, and Alizarin O staining, we found that MSE treatment upregulated key microRNAs, such as hsa-miR-122-5p, hsa-miR-1301-3p, and hsa-let-7e-5p, associated with vital biological functions. MSEIEs exhibited three primary protective functions: suppressing inflammatory genes while activating anti-inflammatory ones, promoting the differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) into osteoblasts and other cells, and regulating LL-37 and MCP-1 expression. These findings suggest that MSEIEs have potential as functional biomaterials for applications in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food industries.

Background: Self-perceived oral health is related to clinical and subjective oral factors, socioeconomic factors, perceived stress, and oral health behavior. However, limited studies have examined whether self-perceived oral health is related to dry mouth, salivary viscosity, or lifestyle factors. Accordingly, this study aimed to verify the effect of self-perceived oral health and stress levels on subjective oral symptoms and lifestyle., Methods: The responses of 644 university students who agreed to participate in the study were analyzed. A chi-square test was used to determine whether self-perceived oral health and stress levels showed significant differences based on subjective oral symptoms and lifestyle. Logistic regression was used to analyze the effect of subjective oral symptoms and periodontal disease diagnosis on self-perceived oral health., Results: Subjective oral symptom factors that showed significant differences depending on self-perceived oral health included gingival bleeding or pain, dry mouth, and saliva viscosity, and depending on lifestyle factors included the frequency of tooth brushing and beverage consumption. Additionally, subjective oral symptoms influenced self-perceived oral health. Self-perceived oral health was negative when there was gingival bleeding, pain (odds ratio (OR)=0.594, p=0.002), and dry mouth (OR=0.577, p=0.001)., Conclusions: This study's results showed that self-perceived oral health significantly impacts gingival bleeding, pain, and dry mouth. Therefore, government intervention must provide and manage innovative and efficient education programs that promote self-perceived oral health management habits and maintenance and improvement of oral health., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate how effectively the bioelectric toothbrush can alleviate dentin hypersensitivity (DHS) by using electrostatic forces to remove biofilm from the tooth surface., Methods: This study divided inpatients of a preventative dental clinic between March and October 2023 into the following two groups: a bioelectric toothbrush group (BET, n = 25) and a non-bioelectric toothbrush group (NBET, n = 18) as a control group. This was a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial study. A survey, the number of hypersensitive teeth, the O'Leary index, the visual analogue scale (VAS), and the Schiff Cold Air Sensitivity Scale (SCASS) were also investigated., Results: When fluoride toothpaste was applied with a bioelectric toothbrush, the subjects' VAS and SCASS scores reflecting symptoms of hyperesthesia significantly decreased over time, as did the number of hypersensitive teeth and the O'Leary index. Moreover, the bioelectric toothbrush was confirmed to be effective in removing dental plaque., Conclusions: Dental clinics must actively promote bioelectric toothbrushes and fluoride toothpaste for patients suffering from hyperesthesia and pain. Furthermore, these items can be suggested as preventative oral care products to patients with potential hyperesthesia.

Aging is associated with a decline in oral immune function, marked by reduced levels of antimicrobial peptides such as defensins. Capsaicin, a bioactive component found in chili peppers, has been theorized to modulate immune responses through specific receptor pathways. This study examined the effects of aging on oral defensin levels and the potential mitigating role of capsaicin, mediated by the immune response in oral tissues. We conducted a comparative analysis between young and aged mice, with or without capsaicin supplementation, for 3 months. The effect of capsaicin was also studied in vitro in senescence-induced human oral keratinocytes. We found that aging did not reduce defensin levels uniformly but did so in some instances. Capsaicin treatment increased defensin levels in these cases, potentially through transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1)-mediated pathways in the oral cavity. Capsaicin supplementation may counteract age-related declines in oral defensin levels, enabling the maintenance of oral immune function during aging., (© 2024 Molecular Biology Society of Japan and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Camera image-based deep learning (DL) techniques have achieved promising results in dental caries screening. To apply the intraoral camera image-based DL technique for dental caries detection and assess its diagnostic performance, we employed the ensemble technique in the image classification task. 2,682 intraoral camera images were used as the dataset for image classification according to dental caries presence and caries-lesion localization using DL models such as ResNet-50, Inception-v3, Inception-ResNet-v2, and Faster R-convolutional neural network according to diagnostic study design. 534 participants whose mean age [SD] was 47.67 [±13.94] years were enrolled. The dataset was divided into training (56.0%), validation (14.0%), and test subset (30.0%) annotated by one experienced dentist as a reference standard about dental caries detection and lesion location. The confusion matrix, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), and average precision (AP) were evaluated for performance analysis. In the end-to-end dental caries image classification, the ensemble DL models had consistently improved performance, in which as the best results, the ensemble model of Inception-ResNet-v2 achieved 0.94 of AUROC and 0.97 of AP. On the other hand, the explainable model achieved 0.91 of AUROC and 0.96 of AP after the ensemble application. For dental caries classification using intraoral camera images, the application of ensemble techniques exhibited consistently improved performance regardless of the DL models. Furthermore, the trial to create an explainable DL model based on carious lesion detection yielded favorable results., Competing Interests: NO authors have competing interests, (Copyright: © 2024 Kang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Although the working environment may play a role in dental acid erosion, few studies have been conducted on this in Japanese workers in recent years. The purpose of this study was to investigate oral health status, including dental erosion, in workers who may have been exposed to an acidic environment. The study participants were recruited by an online research company. Oral examinations and questionnaire surveys were conducted on this cohort in January 2023. A total of 144 participants were finally included. Workers exposed to an acidic environment showed more use of protective equipment and underwent more dental examinations at the workplace (p<0.001). Possible dental erosion was observed in only 3 out of the total of 144 participants (2.1%), however. No significant difference was observed in the number of teeth, caries experience, or dental erosion according to the number of years of acid exposure in the workplace. The results of this study suggest that acid exposure exerts a relatively small effect on the oral health status of workers in Japan.

Background/objectives: We aimed to assess the antifungal efficacy and impact of a denture cleanser containing Cnidium officinale extract on the surface characteristics of denture base materials, as well as its physical and biological properties., Methods: The experimental denture cleansers were formulated with C. officinale at concentrations of 100 and 150 μg/mL, combined with 1% cocamidopropyl betaine as a natural surfactant. Antifungal efficacy was evaluated using zone-of-inhibition assays against Candida albicans , revealing inhibition zones of 20 ± 1.8 mm for the 100 μg/mL concentration and 23.6 ± 1.6 mm for the 150 μg/mL concentration. Surface property assessments-including hardness, roughness, color stability, and solubility measurements-demonstrated no significant differences compared to the control group. Biological evaluations included the quantification of polyphenol and flavonoid content., Results: The C. officinale -based cleanser showed significant antifungal activity without affecting the hardness, roughness, color stability, or solubility of denture base materials. Biological tests revealed no cytotoxicity and minimal mucosal irritation. Polyphenol and flavonoid contents were quantitatively measured, revealing higher concentrations in the experimental groups, which were correlated with significant antifungal activity. These compounds are known for their roles in disrupting microbial processes and enhancing antimicrobial effects. These findings suggest that the C. officinale -based denture cleanser effectively inhibits C. albicans while preserving the physical properties of denture base materials., Conclusions: This study highlights the potential of C. officinale in denture cleanser formulations, promoting denture hygiene and oral health. Future research should prioritize long-term clinical evaluations and formulation optimization.

Aim: To study the use of a quasi-experimental design to assess the effects of scaling reimbursement policies on the incidence of chronic-periodontitis procedures., Materials and Methods: Interrupted time series analysis was used to compare the effects before and after policy implementation using data on the number of periodontitis-related procedures from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (n = 740,467) and the Health Screening Cohort (n = 337,904). Periodontitis-related procedures with diagnosis codes were categorized into basic (scaling or root planing), intermediate (subgingival curettage) and advanced (tooth extraction, periodontal flap surgery, bone grafting for alveolar bone defects or guided tissue regeneration). Subjects' demographics and comorbidities were considered. The incidence rate of immediate changes and gradual effects before and after policy implementation was assessed., Results: Following the policy implementation from July 2013, an immediate increase was observed in total and basic procedures. No significant changes were noted in intermediate and advanced procedures initially. A decrease in the slope of intermediate procedures was observed in both databases. Advanced procedures showed varied trends, with no change in the National Sample Cohort but an increase in the Health Screening Cohort, particularly among subjects with comorbidities., Conclusions: Following the new policy implementation, the number of intermediate procedures decreased while the number of advanced procedures increased, especially among patients with comorbidities. These findings offer valuable insights on policy evaluation., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Clinical Periodontology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background/aim: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by dysregulated immune responses and a multifactorial etiology. While imatinib has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of immune-related diseases, its potential effects in IBD treatment remain underexplored., Materials and Methods: This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of imatinib in colitis treatment. A dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model was used to mimic IBD in mice. Imatinib was administered orally to mice simultaneously with DSS treatment. The effects of imatinib on DSS-induced colitis were evaluated by analyzing colitis-related pathology, including the disease activity index (DAI), histological lesions, inflammatory markers, and tight junction integrity. Additionally, western blot analysis and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to assess inflammatory markers, tight-junction proteins, and cell death., Results: In the DSS-induced colitis model, imatinib treatment exerted protective effects by attenuating weight loss, restoring colon length, reducing spleen weight, and improving the DAI score and histological lesions. Additionally, imatinib reduced the level of proinflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. Furthermore, imatinib treatment restored tight-junction integrity and decreased the expression of apoptosis marker proteins., Conclusion: Overall, imatinib treatment significantly alleviated the symptoms of DSS-induced colitis by influencing the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, tight junction proteins, and apoptotic markers in mice. These findings highlight imatinib as a potential therapeutic candidate for IBD., (Copyright © 2024, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Background and Objective: There is a relative lack of evidence from observational studies of older populations investigating the association between chronic periodontitis and cerebro-cardiovascular diseases. Accordingly, we investigated the risk of cerebro-cardiovascular diseases according to the severity of chronic periodontitis among older adults., Methods: Data on older adults with chronic periodontitis were extracted from the Korea National Health Insurance Service-Senior Cohort Database using diagnosis codes and dental procedures. Participants were divided into two exposure groups. Among 46 737 participants eligible for inclusion, 21 905 (46.9%) had newly diagnosed mild chronic periodontitis, and 24 832 (53.1%) had newly diagnosed severe chronic periodontitis. To determine the risk of cerebro-cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic stroke, haemorrhagic stroke, and myocardial infarction, multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards modelling was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in this retrospective follow-up study., Results: A total of 3453 (7.4%) outcomes were identified during a mean follow-up of 6.1 years. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that disease-free probability was lower in the severe group than in the mild group (log-rank P < .001). In the multivariable-adjusted model, the HR for cerebro-cardiovascular diseases in the severe group (relative to the mild group) was 1.16 (95% CI: 1.09-1.25). In individual outcome analysis, ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction were associated with chronic periodontitis severity, but haemorrhagic stroke was not., Conclusion: The severity of chronic periodontitis could be associated with the risk of cerebro-cardiovascular diseases in older adults., (© 2023 Gerodontology Association and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: Porphyromonas gulae is a major causative agent of periodontal disease in companion animals that possesses various virulence factors, including fimbriae, lipopolysaccharides, and proteases. P. gulae fimbriae are classified into three genotypes (A, B, and C) based on their nucleotide sequences. Type C fimbrial isolates have been reported to be more virulent than other fimA types, suggesting that different fimA types may aid in the regulation of periodontal pathogenesis. Detailed findings regarding the ability of P. gulae to form biofilms have yet to be reported. Here, we investigated the contributions of fimbrial genotypes in P. gulae biofilm formation., Methods: P. gulae and P. gingivalis biofilms were generated on plates and analyzed using confocal laser microscopy. Additionally, the biofilms formed were assessed by staining with crystal violet. Furthermore, the physical strength of P. gulae biofilms was examined by ultrasonication., Results: Biofilms formed by P. gulae type C were denser than those formed by types A and B. Moreover, the amount of biofilm formed by type C strains was significantly greater than that formed by type A and B strains, which was similar to the biofilms formed by P. gingivalis with type II fimbriae. Additionally, the physical strength of the type C biofilm was significantly greater than that of the other strains., Conclusions: These results suggest that FimA variation may coordinate for biofilm formation. This is the first report on the observation and characterization of P. gulae biofilm formation., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There are no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In adverse environments, fine dust is linked to a variety of health disorders, including cancers, cardiovascular, neurological, renal, reproductive, motor, systemic, and respiratory diseases. Although PM10 is associated with oral inflammation and cancer, there is limited research on biomaterials that prevent damage caused by fine dust. In this study, we evaluated the effects of biomaterials using microRNA profiling, flow cytometry, conventional PCR, immunocytochemistry, Alizarin O staining, and ELISA. Compared to SBE ( Scutellaria baicalensis extract), the preventive effectiveness of SBEIEs (SBE-induced exosomes) against fine dust was approximately two times higher. Furthermore, SBEIEs promoted cellular differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) into osteoblasts, periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs), and pulp progenitor cells (PPCs), enhancing immune modulation for oral health against fine dust. In terms of immune modulation, SBEIEs activated the secretion of cytokines such as IL-10, LL-37, and TGF-β in T cells, B cells, and macrophages, while attenuating the secretion of MCP-1 in macrophages. MicroRNA profiling revealed that significantly modulated miRNAs in SBEIEs influenced four biochemical categories: apoptosis, cellular differentiation, immune activation, and anti-inflammation. These findings suggest that SBEIEs are an optimal biomaterial for developing oral health care products. Additionally, this study proposes functional microRNA candidates for the development of pharmaceutical liposomes.

Purpose: This study compared the person-centered approach alone and incorporated the mentor-protégé model to assess differences in self-efficacy, clinical skill acquisition, and anxiety/stress levels., Methods: This quasi-experimental study recruited a convenience sample of dental hygiene students at New York University during the 2022-2023 academic year. The dental hygiene students who were taught through traditional methods only (control group) and those who experienced the mentor-protégé approach (intervention group) were compared. Data was collected from participants through anonymous surveys at the beginning and conclusion of the academic year. Additional information was gathered from the comparison group through a focus group., Results: Participants from both groups responded favorably in measurements of self-efficacy. However, the comparison group had a significant increase in their self-rated ability to work independently (p = 0.008989). Changes in perceived clinical skill acquisition were not statistically significant, except for improvement in patient communication for the comparison group (p = 0.0197). The control group's anxiety/stress decreased by 12.5% (p = 0.0755) and the comparison group's anxiety/stress levels reduced by 28.3% (p = 0.0646) in the general clinics. The clinical course failing rate for the control group in fall 2022 semester was 9%, and the intervention group at 0%; no clinical course failures occurred in either group for Spring 2023 semester. There was a 100% passing rate achieved on the clinical board exam by both groups., Conclusions: Implementing the mentor-protégé model in dental hygiene education enhances students' clinical learning experiences and aids in practice readiness., (© 2024 American Dental Education Association.)

Skin wounds heal faster during stem cell differentiation. Cold plasma reportedly enhances cell proliferation and differentiation and enhances the efficacy of stem cell therapy. However, the exact mechanism of action involved remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of a combination therapy involving the transplantation of mouse mesenchymal stem cells (mMSCs) into mice with wounds followed by their activation using no-ozone cold plasma (NCP). Balb/c mMSCs were transplanted into BALB/c mice and treated with NCP for 5 min. The animals were divided into four groups based on treatments received: no treatment (Wound), mMSCs only (mMSC), NCP only (NCP), and both mMSC and NCP (mMSC + NCP). NCP treatment was administered six times over two weeks, and tissue samples were prepared by sacrificing the mice in the 1st and 2nd weeks. The wound healing efficacy was assessed using morphological, histological, and molecular approaches including wound healing length measurements, hematoxylin and eosin staining, Masson trichrome staining, immunofluorescence staining, immunohistochemistry, and real-time polymerase chain reaction. The wound healing effect was better in the mMSC + NCP group than that in the groups treated with either. Tracking the injected mMSCs in mice also revealed that the mMSC + NCP group had a greater survival rate. Furthermore, upon wound healing, the mMSC + NCP group exhibited elevated levels of growth factors, like platelet-derived growth factor, transforming growth factor-beta, and vascular endothelial growth factor. These results suggest that NCP stimulated transplanted mMSCs, resulting in faster wound healing. Therefore, further studies are warranted in preclinical and clinical studies to confirm this effect., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Gyoo Cheon Kim reports a relationship with Pusan National University that includes: funding grants. Gyoo Cheon Kim has patent #2016M3A9C6918283 pending to Bio & Medical Technology Development Program of the National Research Foundation (NRF) & funded by the Korean government. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We investigated the association between ambient air pollutant exposure and periodontal health using data from 17,271 adults in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2012-2015). Participants' periodontal status was categorized based on their community periodontal index (CPI) scores. Using multiple logistic regression models, we examined the relationship between air pollutant levels and poor periodontal status at various lag periods. After adjusting for potential confounders, PM 10 exposure was associated with a poor periodontal status (short-term: 0-1 and 0-2 lag days; medium-term: 0-1 and 0-2 lag months). SO 2 exposure showed similar associations (short-term, 0-2 to 0-7 lag days; medium-term, 0-4 to 0-6 lag months). Only increased medium-term O 3 exposure (0-2 to 0-6 lag months) was associated with a poor periodontal status. NO 2 exposure was inversely associated with poor periodontal status for both short- and medium-term durations.

Although previous studies have examined the relationship between obesity and genetics in response to the growing obesity epidemic, research on the relationship between obesity and long-term changes in body mass index (BMI) is limited. To investigate this relationship, data from 1030 cases in the Anseong and Ansan cohorts were collected from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study conducted by the Korea National Institute of Health between 2000 and 2014. Cases lacking participants' BMI data throughout the study were excluded, resulting in a final sample size of 3074. An increase or decrease in BMI was analyzed using PLINK, STRING, and DAVID, with significant differences observed in the AEN , ANKS1B , CSF1 , EEF2K , FRAS1 , GRIK4 , PDGFC , THTPA , and TREH genes. These genes were observed to cluster with pathways related to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic processes, and endocytosis-related genes. These results suggest that several genes are involved in BMI changes and that several pathways are associated with obesity risk. Moreover, some genetic variants appear to influence BMI changes in Korean adults.

Background and Objectives : Enhanced osteoblast differentiation may be leveraged to prevent and treat bone-related diseases such as osteoporosis. No-ozone cold plasma (NCP) treatment is a promising and safe strategy to enhance osteoblast differentiation. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effectiveness of direct and indirect NCP treatment methods on osteoblast differentiation. Mouse osteoblastic cells (MC3T3-E1) were treated with NCP using different methods, i.e., no NCP treatment (NT group; control), direct NCP treatment (DT group), direct NCP treatment followed by media replacement (MC group), and indirect treatment with NCP-treated media only (PAM group). Materials and Methods : The MC3T3-E1 cells were subsequently assessed for cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, calcium deposition, and ALP and osteocalcin mRNA expression using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results : Cell proliferation significantly increased in the NCP-treated groups (DT and PAM; MC and PAM) compared to the NT group after 24 h ( p < 0.038) and 48 h ( p < 0.000). ALP activity was increased in the DT and PAM groups at 1 week ( p < 0.115) and in the DT, MC, and PAM groups at 2 weeks ( p < 0.000) compared to the NT group. Calcium deposition was higher in the NCP-treated groups than in NT group at 2 and 3 weeks ( p < 0.000). ALP mRNA expression peaked in the MC group at 2 weeks compared to the NP group ( p < 0.014). Osteocalcin mRNA expression increased in the MC group at 2 weeks ( p < 0.000) and was the highest in the PAM group at 3 weeks ( p < 0.000). Thus, the effects of direct (DT and MC) and indirect (PAM) treatment varied, with MC direct treatment showing the most significant impact on osteoblast activity. Conclusions : The MC group exhibited enhanced osteoblast differentiation, indicating that direct NCP treatment followed by media replacement is the most effective method for promoting bone formation.

Aim: The primary aim was to systematically assess the available literature on the effect of an essential oils mouthwash without alcohol (EOalc-) compared to an essential oils mouthwash with alcohol (EOalc+) on plaque scores and parameters of gingival health. The secondary aim was to evaluate user appreciation., Materials and Methods: The MEDLINE-PubMed and Cochrane-CENTRAL databases were searched to identify eligible studies published up to and including March 2024. Papers comparing the effectiveness of EOalc- and EOalc+ were included. The quality was assessed. A descriptive analysis and a meta-analysis were performed., Results: After screening, seven papers were found to be eligible. The descriptive analysis demonstrates a significant difference in plaque scores in favour of EOalc+. This is confirmed by the meta-analyses of plaque scores in non-brushing and brushing studies (DiffM = 0.40; 95% CI [0.27; 0.53], p < 0.00001 and DiffM = 0.05; 95% CI [0.01; 0.10], p = 0.01, respectively). This finding is also supported by the sub-analysis of brands. The meta-analyses of bleeding and gingival scores in brushing studies did not show significant differences between products. For user appreciation, the difference found was for taste perception in favour of EOalc- (DiffM = 1.63; 95% CI [0.72; 2.55], p = 0.0004)., Conclusion: When an EO-mouthwash is used in non-brushing or brushing situations, with small to moderate certainty, EOalc- provided less effect regarding plaque control than EOalc+. For bleeding and gingival index there is weak certainty for no difference. In terms of the taste perception EOalc- seems more appreciated., (© 2024 The Author(s). International Journal of Dental Hygiene published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: The prevalence of smoking, including heated tobacco products (HTPs), among Japanese dentists was reported to be 16.5%, significantly higher than that among Japanese physicians and United States dentists. However, large-scale studies on smoking cessation implementation based on dentists' smoking status and perceptions since the introduction of HTPs are lacking. Therefore, we aimed to investigate and assess dentists' attitudes toward smoking, including HTP use and smoking cessation, according to smoking status., Methods: A self-administered questionnaire comprising six major items was mailed to 3883 dentists who were members of the Aichi Dental Association in August 2019. The primary outcome was smoking cessation status. The secondary outcome was the impact of smoking on intervention for smoking cessation. This study was reported using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines., Results: Among the 1317 (42%) dentists analyzed, men were more positive toward smoking than women. Current and former smokers were more positive about smoking than never smokers/users, regardless of the tobacco product type. Additionally, the current smoker group using conventional cigarettes was less likely to ask for their patients' smoking status than the never smoker group. Furthermore, the current smoker (OR=2.0; 95% CI: 1.3-3.1 vs never smoker) and HTP user (OR=1.9; 95% CI: 1.2-3.1 vs never user) groups were less likely to engage in smoking cessation than the never smoker/user groups, regardless of the tobacco product type., Conclusions: Since the smoking status of dentists affects the implementation of smoking cessation interventions, it is crucial to encourage them to quit using all tobacco products to promote smoking cessation interventions in dental practice. Additionally, providing proper smoking prevention education to dentists is an important task., Competing Interests: The authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest and none was reported., (© 2024 Oya-Watanabe Y. et al.)

Qualitative research is a relatively new approach for conducting studies in health disciplines. The value of this research approach is to explore peoples' experiences and gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of their experiences. Qualitative inquiries answer research questions about what, why and how by implementing various research designs such as qualitative descriptive, qualitative case study, ethnological, phenomenology, or grounded theory designs. Purposive and snowball sampling methods are commonly used to recruit participants followed by personal interviews or focus group discussions to collect data. Data analysis requires several coding procedures performed by the researcher or an alternative is using a coding software program. Preparing a manuscript for dissemination of the results can be challenging, although achievable., (Copyright © 2024 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.)

Background: Military personnel suffer from stress-induced temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD). No previous studies have evaluated the oral habits and TMD in military personnel based on their stress levels., Objectives: To examine the correlation between oral habits and TMD based on stress levels. In addition, we assessed the relationship between stress levels and TMD by military rank as well as the impact of oral habits on TMD., Method: This cross-sectional survey included 89 military personnel who visited the Armed Forces Medical Center in Korea with discomfort in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) discomfort. Oral habits, stress level, TMD and general characteristics of the subjects were investigated. A questionnaire was distributed to the subjects who agreed to the study, and they were asked to respond in a self-written form. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to examine the factors that affect oral habits and TMJ symptoms., Results: Stress scores and oral habits were highest in the 'Private' rank. In contrast, temporomandibular joint symptoms were highest in the 'Corporal' rank. Additionally, the high-risk stress group exhibited higher scores in oral habits and TMD compared to the potential stress group. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between an increase in high-risk stress scores and a rise in oral habits. And individuals with more oral habits are at an increased likelihood of experiencing TMD., Conclusion: Our study findings suggest that military personnel with prevent TMD and improve oral habits by addressing stress levels., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: This study was conducted in order to determine the effect on halitosis and the antibacterial effect against halitosis-causing bacteria of the mouthwash made of the natural material, Glycyrrhiza uralensis (G. uralensis) extract., Materials and Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted on 60 patients who visited M dental clinic located in Busan, South Korea, excluding those with systemic disease that may induce halitosis. There were 30 patients classified to the saline gargle group and the remaining 30 patients were classified to the G. uralensis extract gargle group. In addition, their level of halitosis and halitosis-causing bacteria were measured. They visited the dental clinic on a fasted state at baseline before gargle application (Baseline), immediately after gargle application (Treatment) and 5 days after gargle application (After 5 Days). For clinical indicators, participants were tested for halitosis and bacteria immediately after waking up without brushing their teeth and without hydration., Results: The prevalence of halitosis decreased in the G. uralensis extract gargle group compared to the saline gargle group at Treatment and After 5 Days. In cases with pseudo halitosis, there was a significant decrease in halitosis-causing bacteria when G. uralensis extract gargle was applied (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: It was identified that using a mouthwash made with G. uralensis extract is effective for halitosis improvement and reduction of halitosis-causing bacteria. Therefore, using a mouthwash containing G. uralensis extract, it will be effective in improving bad breath and oral hygiene will be possible., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aim: To assess user perceptions of different commercially available fluoride mouthwashes (FL-MWs)., Methods: A single-blind, randomized clinical trial was conducted. Participants were randomly assigned to a sequence of six different FL-MWs, one of which contained alcohol. For each visit, participants rinsed with one specific mouthwash (15 mL) for 30 s. After rinsing, participants completed a questionnaire with a visual analogue scale. Questions focused on overall taste, mild/pungent feeling, taste duration, foaming effect, burning sensation, sensitivity, numbness, dryness, rinsing time, smell, and colour of the mouthwashes. Descriptive analyses and statistical tests regarding differences among and between the mouthwashes were performed., Results: Overall, 53 participants completed the study protocol, including nine who did, however, not rinse with the alcohol-containing mouthwash due to religious reasons. Among the mouthwashes, significant differences were found for foaming effect, sensitivity, rinsing time, smell, and colour (p < 0.05). Pairwise comparison for smell did not reveal a difference, and foaming was within the acceptance range (low to medium foaming). Coloured mouthwashes were more appreciated than transparent solutions (p = 0.00). The mouthwash containing essential oils and alcohol produced significantly more sensitivity (p = 0.00) and, in general, participants experienced the rinsing time significantly longer (p < 0.05) compared to the non-alcohol-containing mouthwashes., Conclusion: There is heterogeneity in user perceptions and preferences for FL-MWs, with a significant difference in foaming effect, sensitivity, rinsing time, smell, and colour. Coloured mouthwashes are preferred. The mouthwash containing essential oils and alcohol was less acceptable in relation to sensitivity and rinsing time., (© 2024 The Author(s). International Journal of Dental Hygiene published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Dental implant maintenance is crucial to obtain and maintain a healthy peri-implant situation. Although it is part of a dental hygienists (DH) scope of practice, the knowledge and common practices among DHs in the Netherlands are unclear., Materials and Methods: A web-based survey was distributed by the Dutch Association of DHs, by spreading survey QR codes and snowballing. The role of the different DH curricula 2- or 3-year diploma and a 4-year bachelor's degree is evaluated., Results: In total, 165 (diploma: 73, bachelor: 92) DHs responded. Peri-implant diseases were well known (98%), indices and clinical symptoms were used to assess peri-implant tissues. A periodontal probe (97%) was used and bone loss was evaluated on radiographs (89%). Treatment was performed supra- and subgingivally (69%), mostly by titanium (45%) or plastic hand instruments (42%). Ultrasonic (52%) and air-abrasive (52%) devices were often used. The recall interval for maintenance was based on a risk-adjusted protocol (70%). DHs with a bachelor's received significantly more training compared to DHs with a diploma during primary education (p < 0.001). Diploma DHs mainly obtained their knowledge from continuing education (p = 0.04). In general, there was no significant difference in knowledge or common practices., Conclusions: The primary education of DHs with a 2- or 3-year diploma and a 4-year bachelor's varies. Due to the continuing education of diploma DHs, knowledge and common practices generally do not differ. Most DHs in the Netherlands perform implant maintenance. A periodontal probe and radiographs are used for examination. Instrumentation is performed supra- and subgingivally, usually with titanium or plastic hand instruments. The recall interval is based on a patient's risk assessment., (© 2024 The Author(s). International Journal of Dental Hygiene published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: This study used a Delphi survey to define the concept of oral function rehabilitation exercise (OFRE) based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) and to categorise intervention domains for community-dwelling older adults., Background: While numerous studies have been conducted to improve oral function through exercise interventions, the conceptual definition of oral exercise remains unclear and there is a lack of systematic categorisation of oral exercise intervention domains., Methods: A preliminary model was developed based on the key findings of 19 papers selected from a prior systematic review. Its validity was confirmed through a Delphi survey conducted twice with eight expert panellists. Consensus was achieved by evaluating the validity of the OFRE conceptual framework, the accuracy of OFRE conceptual definitions, and intervention domains., Results: Through expert consensus, an ICF-based OFRE conceptual framework was developed that includes 21 factors that affect the oral health status of the older adults. The OFRE intervention domain for improving the health status consisted of oral function rehabilitation warm-up exercise, masticatory function exercise, swallowing function exercise, articulatory function exercise, salivary function exercise, and oral function rehabilitation cool-down exercise, and 11 specific intervention methods were derived., Conclusions: The OFRE intervention can be used for planning and applying successful interventions to improve oral function and life function of older adults., (© 2024 Gerodontology Association and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aims: This study aims to evaluate the periodontal status and its changes among Japanese older adults over a 10-year period., Methods and Results: A total of 206 dentate older adults aged 70 years who completely participated in 10 years of oral examination were included. The community periodontal index (CPI) was used to assess the gingival and periodontal pocket status, while the loss of attachment (LA) scoring system was used to report the extensive LA. A higher score in CPI (Code 3 and Code 4) and more extensive attachment loss were found in a majority of participants. During follow-up evaluation, mean number of sextants with CPI code 4 remained stable, while CPI code 3 significantly decreased particularly in male participants. Whereas, sextants without attachment loss significantly decreased on average. The mean number of missing sextants significantly increased from 1.1 to 1.9, and 5.8% of subjects had all sextants excluded in the follow-up., Conclusion: This study indicated that majority of the older people experienced severe periodontal disease and this condition remained stable during 10-year period. Additionally, the incidence of tooth loss increased as individuals aged. Regular oral care and maintenance are highly recommended for older population., (© 2024 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background and Objectives : The incidence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing worldwide, alongside the epidemic of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Based on preliminary reports regarding the potential association of HCC and periodontitis, this study aimed to analyze the involvement of periodontal bacteria as well as the oral and intestinal bacterial flora in MASH-related HCC (MASH-HCC). Materials and Methods : Forty-one patients with MASH and nineteen with MASH-HCC participated in the study, completing survey questionnaires, undergoing periodontal examinations, and providing samples of saliva, mouth-rinsed water, feces, and peripheral blood. The oral and fecal microbiome profiles were analyzed by 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. Bayesian network analysis was used to analyze the causation between various factors, including MASH-HCC, examinations, and bacteria. Results : The genus Fusobacterium had a significantly higher occupancy rate ( p = 0.002) in the intestinal microflora of the MASH-HCC group compared to the MASH group. However, Butyricicoccus ( p = 0.022) and Roseburia ( p < 0.05) had significantly lower occupancy rates. The Bayesian network analysis revealed the absence of periodontal pathogenic bacteria and enteric bacteria affecting HCC. However, HCC directly affected the periodontal bacterial species Porphyromonas gingivalis , Tannerella forsythia, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Prevotella intermedia in the saliva, as well as the genera Lactobacillus , Roseburia , Fusobacterium , Prevotella , Clostridium , Ruminococcus , Trabulsiella , and SMB53 in the intestine. Furthermore, P. gingivalis in the oral cavity directly affected the genera Lactobacillus and Streptococcus in the intestine. Conclusions : MASH-HCC directly affects periodontal pathogenic and intestinal bacteria, and P. gingivalis may affect the intestinal bacteria associated with gastrointestinal cancer.

Pulpitis constitutes a significant challenge in clinical management due to its impact on peripheral nerve tissue and the persistence of chronic pain. Despite its clinical importance, the correlation between neuronal activity and the expression of voltage-gated sodium channel 1.7 (Nav1.7) in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) during pulpitis is less investigated. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between experimentally induced pulpitis and Nav1.7 expression in the TG and to investigate the potential of selective Nav1.7 modulation to attenuate TG abnormal activity associated with pulpitis. Acute pulpitis was induced at the maxillary molar (M1) using allyl isothiocyanate (AITC). The mice were divided into three groups: control, pulpitis model, and pulpitis model treated with ProTx-II, a selective Nav1.7 channel inhibitor. After three days following the surgery, we conducted a recording and comparative analysis of the neural activity of the TG utilizing in vivo optical imaging. Then immunohistochemistry and Western blot were performed to assess changes in the expression levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Fos, collapsin response mediator protein-2 (CRMP2), and Nav1.7 channels. The optical imaging result showed significant neurological excitation in pulpitis TGs. Nav1.7 expressions exhibited upregulation, accompanied by signaling molecular changes suggestive of inflammation and neuroplasticity. In addition, inhibition of Nav1.7 led to reduced neural activity and subsequent decreases in ERK, c-Fos, and CRMP2 levels. These findings suggest the potential for targeting overexpressed Nav1.7 channels to alleviate pain associated with pulpitis, providing practical pain management strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to establish an oral health activity assessment tool for older people and evaluate its validity., Background: To provide reasonable and efficient oral health promotion services with limited medical resources, a tool including categories and items of oral health promotion activities for older people should be prepared., Materials and Methods: The tool initially consisted of 76 items on oral health promotion activities for older people classified into assessment-performance-evaluation stages. Topics for each stage included general and oral health, daily health, oral health status, behaviour, and awareness. In addition, two Delphi surveys were conducted on 10 experts who met the selection criteria, and the final items were derived based on the review opinions., Results: As a result of the first and second Delphi surveys, the content validity for all items was ≥0.60 and the content validity index was ≥0.80. In the first survey, the degree of convergence in some items was 0-0.88. After modifying the contents according to expert opinions, the degree of convergence was improved from 0 to 0.50 in the second survey. The degree of agreement ranged from 0.75 to 1.00, indicating that experts agreed. Finally, a total of 65 items were derived., Conclusion: A 65-item tool was derived through two Delphi surveys for the assessment of oral health activities for older people. The use of the tool developed in this study would likely contribute to better prevention of oral diseases and the promotion of oral health among older people., (© 2024 The Author(s). Gerodontology published by Gerodontology Association and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Acrylic resins are widely used as the main components in removable orthodontic appliances. However, poor oral hygiene and maintenance of orthodontic appliances provide a suitable environment for the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. In this study, strontium-modified phosphate-based glass (Sr-PBG) was added to orthodontic acrylic resin at 0% (control), 3.75%, 7.5%, and 15% by weight to evaluate the surface and physicochemical properties of the novel material and its in vitro antifungal effect against Candida albicans (C. albicans). Surface microhardness and contact angle did not vary between the control and 3.75% Sr-PBG groups (p > 0.05), and the flexural strength was lower in the experimental groups than in the control group (p < 0.05), but no difference was found with Sr-PBG content (p > 0.05). All experimental groups showed an antifungal effect at 24 and 48 h compared to that in the control group (p < 0.05). This study demonstrated that 3.75% Sr-PBG exhibits antifungal effects against C. albicans along with suitable physicochemical properties, which may help to minimize the risk of adverse effects associated with harmful microbial living on removable orthodontic appliances and promote the use of various materials., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Speckle noise in ultrasound images (UIs) significantly reduces the accuracy of disease diagnosis. The aim of this study was to quantitatively evaluate its feasibility in salivary gland ultrasound imaging by modeling the adaptive non-local means (NLM) algorithm. UIs were obtained using an open-source device provided by SonoSkills and FUJIFILM Healthcare Europe. The adaptive NLM algorithm automates optimization by modeling the isotropic search window, eliminating the need for manual configuration in conventional NLM methods. The coefficient of variation (COV), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and edge rise distance (ERD) were used as quantitative evaluation parameters. UIs of the salivary glands revealed evident visualization of the internal echo shape of the malignant tumor and calcification line using the adaptive NLM algorithm. Improved COV and CNR results (approximately 4.62 and 2.15 times, respectively) compared with noisy images were achieved. Additionally, when the adaptive NLM algorithm was applied to the UIs of patients with salivary gland sialolithiasis, the noisy images and ERD values were calculated almost similarly. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the applicability of the adaptive NLM algorithm in optimizing search window parameters for salivary gland UIs.

Introduction: Surveys distributed among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses reveal a significant need for dental care, with many acknowledging poor oral hygiene management. Poor oral health in ICU patients is linked to systemic problems, including aspiration pneumonia, necessitating pre-intervention assessments for bacterial diseases and dental risks. This study aims to evaluate the oral health status of ICU patients across three institutions through retrospective analysis. Methods: This retrospective study assessed the oral health status of ICU patients, using computed tomography (CT) images from three institutions over ten years. Through CT images, the oral status was evaluated in terms of total and lost tooth count and the presence of oral lesions (periapical lesions, cysts and tumors, caries, tartar, moderate to severe periodontal bone loss, tooth fractures). Variables included gender, age, the duration of ICU stay, and types of ICU. Statistical analysis was performed using chi-square tests, independent-sample t -tests, and logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the 450 participants, 430 were analyzed, revealing a prevalence of oral lesions in 67.0% of subjects. The prevalence of oral lesions was higher in males (71.5%) than females (57.7%, p = 0.006), and higher in those aged 40 and above (72.1%) compared to those under the age of 40 (47.8%, p < 0.001). This study found significant differences in oral health status based on gender, age, and ICU type, with surgical ICU patients generally having better oral health. Risk factors for oral lesions included gender, age, and duration of ICU stay. Conclusions: Most ICU patients have at least one oral lesion, regardless of the reason for their ICU admission. In particular, male ICU patients aged 40 and above have a higher prevalence of oral lesions, necessitating careful oral health assessment and treatment.